The image of Manchester United being so short of cash in January that they had to borrow a striker from the Championship is a contradiction to the club keen to sign one of Europe's best marksmen in the summer.
United saved £16million when Cristiano Ronaldo's contract was torn up in November, but they've banked plenty of that following the arrival of Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley, for a fee of just £2.6m and a wage-packet considerably more modest than the man he's replaced.
The tone from club executives has been one of caution since spending significantly over budget in the summer, when a £225m shopping spree significantly enhanced Erik ten Hag's squad. This month it's been an open secret in recruitment circles that United just don't have any money to spend.
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There has been speculation they are flying close to the wind when it comes to Financial Fair Play metrics and Ten Hag was told in December that the best they could do this month in terms of signing a striker was a loan deal. And at Weghorst's end of the market, rather than the sums Chelsea paid to borrow Joao Felix.
There is an acceptance they will have to go again in the summer, however. A right-back is likely to be on the shopping list, perhaps a younger, dynamic midfielder. But occupying Ten Hag's dreams more often than not is a world-class striker and, unless you win the race for Erling Haaland, they don't come (comparatively) cheap.
Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen are the two strikers most regularly linked with United and there is interest in both. But to sign Kane would require negotiations with Daniel Levy and even if he refuses to sign a new contract, it will be an expensive deal to do. If Osimhen fires Napoli to the Serie A title and deep into the Champions League he is likely to require a nine-figure transfer fee to be extracted from a delirious Naples.
A return to the Champions League looks increasingly likely for United and that will be a significant boost to the coffers. There is also the possibility of raising funds. Alex Telles and Eric Bailly are out on loan and unwanted. Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek are likely to want more first-team football. Dean Henderson is a sellable asset with no intention of remaining a No. 2 goalkeeper.
Some of them will need replacements and they are unlikely to raise a fortune, but United might have another option to bring in some extra money to stash in the new striker savings jar. That strategy could involve selling Anthony Martial.
After a disastrous loan spell at Sevilla in the second half of last season, Martial looked to benefit from the arrival of Ten Hag and was bright in pre-season. In an injury-disrupted first half of the campaign he also showed promise when he was on the pitch, but that is starting to fizzle out.
The 27-year-old is now on his third separate injury absence already this season, having also had three ailments that kept him out last season. He's been unavailable for 13 games already this term and since the World Cup his impact has been negligible. A return of five goals in 695 minutes is still reasonable, but it feels like he's regressed this term, rather than building on that early promise.
It's approaching decision time now for United with Martial. His contract runs until 2024 with the option of another year, but he is no longer a young forward. We should be talking about performances rather than potential.
In a summer when funds need to be raised, this could be a time to cash in and try to recoup maybe half the £50m they paid for him. Those funds could then be reinvested in signing Kane or Osimhen, as well as a cheaper deal for Weghorst.
The Dutchman might not be the permanent deal supporters want, but he will be available on a cut-price deal from Burnley and is already looking like he can have a squad role to play. If, for example, United could land an A-list striker and Weghorst for £100m and sell Martial for £25m, that might prove to be a wise outlay in their attack.
Weghorst might not have the natural ability of Martial, but he is clearly admired by Ten Hag and his ability to link play has been impressive so far. He would be a plan B and a reliable back-up to a Kane or an Osimhen, for a club that might need to operate on a tighter budget this summer.
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